Sweatband with convertible visor

ABSTRACT

A head-worn article having a band portion and a visor portion is composed at least in part of the same absorbent material such as terrycloth. The band portion, being adapted to encircle the head of a wearer above the eyes, features an inner surface and an outer surface assuming a generally round or oval shape defining a periphery when worn. The visor portion is attached to the band portion along a line spanning at least one-quarter of the outer surface of the band, thereby creating an arc-shaped line of attachment, whereby the visor portion assumes two stable states, those being a flipped-up state and a flipped-down state. In the preferred embodiment, the forward extent of the visor in the flipped-down state does not extend above the top edge of the band portion in the flipped-up state.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/449,883, filed Mar. 7, 2011, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to head-worn apparel and, in particular, to an absorbent sweatband including a visor that may be flipped up and down for different uses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sweatbands are commonly worn during athletic activities, particularly those involving strenuous exertion. Such sweatbands are often made out of ‘terrycloth’ material. Visors are also available on other types of headgear, such as baseball caps. However, these are typically rigid, and do not provide any absorbency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention improves upon the existing art by providing a head-worn article having a band portion and a visor portion composed at least in part of the same absorbent material such as terrycloth. The band portion, being adapted to encircle the head of a wearer above the eyes, features an inner surface and an outer surface assuming a generally round or oval shape defining a periphery when worn.

The visor portion is attached to the band portion along a line spanning at least one-quarter of the outer surface of the band, thereby creating an arc-shaped line of attachment, whereby the visor portion assumes two stable states, those being a flipped-up state and a flipped-down state. In the preferred embodiment, the forward extent of the visor in the flipped-down state does not extend above the top edge of the band portion in the flipped-up state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the invention worn by a user with the visor portion in a down position;

FIG. 2 shows the preferred embodiment with the visor ‘flipped up’;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the invention with the visor flipped down;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a different side view of the invention on a wearer with the visor flipped up.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the invention depicted generally at 100, worn by a user indicated in broken-line form. The invention includes a sweatband portion 102 which encircles the head of a wearer, and an attached visor portion 104 connected along line 106 to the headband 102.

In the preferred embodiment, both the band portion 102 and the visor portion 104 are constructed at least in part of the same soft, absorbent material, most preferably terrycloth. In the most preferred embodiments the outer layers of the band and visor portions are terrycloth, with inner layers of the band including an elastic material and an inner layer of the visor including a a stiffening material such as interfacing.

When the inventive convertible article is worn by a user, the band portion 102 assumes a generally circular or oval shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the visor portion 104 is attached along line 106, creating an arc-shape attachment when the article is worn. In the preferred embodiment, the visor portion is attached along one quarter to one third of the outer peripheral surface of the band portion 102 to create this arc-shaped line 106.

The visor portion 104 includes a proximal portion closest to the line of attachment 106 to the band portion 102, and a forward extension 110 which is furthest away. Due to the fact that the visor portion 104 is attached along a sufficient length of the band portion 102 to create an arc-shaped attachment line, the visor 104 assumes two stable states, namely, the flipped-down state shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and the flipped-up state shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Such stable states have to do with the fact that in either of these states, the distal section 110 is stretched the least amount. In other words, in moving from the downward position to the upward position, at least the distal section 110 goes through a state of being stretched, which is maximized when the visor 104 is generally oriented along a plane parallel to the plane of the band when worn. In the upward and downward states, the stretching of distal section 110 is the least, resulting in two states which remain stable.

In contrast to previous designs, particularly in the upward state of the visor 104 shown in FIG. 2, since at least the outer layers of the visor portion 104 are made of a terry cloth or other soft, absorbent material, it contacts the forward portion of the band 102, thereby providing additional absorbent capability. Such a capability is not available in devices made from other, more rigid materials, as might be found in golf visors, baseball caps, and the like. Note in FIGS. 2 and 5, for example that when the visor portion 104 is flipped up, the furthest extent 110 of the visor when flipped down does not extend above the upper edge 105 of the band 102, thereby enabling the visor to essentially disappear when flipped up. 

1. A head-worn article, comprising: a band portion having an upper edge and a lower edge adapted to encircle the head of a wearer above the eyes, thereby assuming a generally round or oval shape when worn; the band portion having inner and outer surfaces composed of a soft, absorbent material; a visor portion having outer surfaces composed of the same soft, absorbent material as the band portion; the visor portion being attached to the band portion along a line spanning at least one-quarter of the outer surface of the band, thereby creating an arc-shaped line of attachment; and whereby the visor portion assumes two stable states: namely, a flipped-down state for use as a visor, and a flipped-up state wherein the visor portion is disposed against the outer surface of the band portion.
 2. The head-worn article of claim 1, wherein the band and visor portions are both made of terrycloth material.
 3. The head-worn article of claim 1, wherein the visor portion is attached to the band portion along a line proximate to the lower edge of the band.
 4. The head-worn article of claim 1, wherein: the visor portion defines a forward edge in the flipped-down state when used as a visor; and wherein the forward edge of the visor portion is at or below the upper edge of the band portion in the flipped-up state. 